Impact of multiple risk factor profiles on determining cardiovascular disease risk.
BACKGROUND
We examined the association between clustering of risk factors and the risk for coronary heart disease, stroke, and all-cause mortality.


METHODS
Data from the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-Up Study (N = 12,932) were used to estimate the relative risk for coronary heart disease (N = 2,255), stroke (N = 929), and death from any cause (N = 4,506) by the number of cardiovascular disease risk factors present. Risk factors included current smoking, overweight, hypertension, high blood cholesterol, and diabetes.


RESULTS
The proportions of respondents with 0, 1, 2, 3, or > or = 4 risk factors were 25.0, 32.8, 27.8, 12.3, and 2.1%, respectively. Relative risks for coronary heart disease associated with having 1, 2, 3, and > or = 4 risk factors were 1.6 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4, 1.9), 2.2 (95% CI 1.9, 2.6), 3.1 (95% CI 2.6, 3.6), and 5.0 (95% CI 3.9, 6.3), respectively. Relative risks for stroke associated with the same risk levels were 1.4 (95% CI 1.1, 1.8), 1.9 (95% CI 1.5, 2.4), 2.3 (95% CI 1.7, 3.0), and 4.3 (95% CI 3.0, 6.3), respectively. Similar results were observed for all-cause mortality.


CONCLUSIONS
Risk for cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality increased substantially with each additional risk factor. This supports the continued need for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease risk factors.
Yusuf
H R
HR
Cardiovascular Health Branch, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, USA.
Giles
W H
WH
Croft
J B
JB
Anda
R F
RF
Casper
M L
ML
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